


Reckless

by TheCourtSorcerer



Series: Merlin In The Modern Era [6]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Parental Relationships, Car Accidents, Hurt Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Love Confessions, M/M, Major Character Injury, Modern Era, Not Beta'd, Unbeta'd, Uther is a grade A dick, shitty parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29957526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCourtSorcerer/pseuds/TheCourtSorcerer
Summary: “Yes, yes this is him,” he added once he finally remembered she couldn’t actually see him. “May I ask who this is?”There were a few seconds of hesitation before the woman replied.“This is Guinevere Du Lac; I’m calling on behalf of Avalon Hospital’s Accidents & Emergency Department.” Merlin’s heart sunk at the words. “Your information was listed as the sole emergency contact for a Mister Arthur Pendragon… I’m afraid he’s been in a car accident.”---Arthur gets in a car accident after an argument with his father. Merlin is his only emergency contact.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin In The Modern Era [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141385
Comments: 20
Kudos: 212





	Reckless

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This fic contains a car accident and (briefly) harsh words exchanged between parent & child. 
> 
> I was listening to Least Favorite Only Child by Leanna Firestone and the line "almost crashed my car into a light pole just to say I did it" inspired this, even though the crash in this fic is in no way intentional. 
> 
> Hope you like it.
> 
> (also disclaimer i do not work in an A&E or any hospital, so i apologize for any unrealistic inaccuracies)

_"Well, I suppose you're not my dad, then!"_

His own words echoed through his head as Arthur sped down the street, furious tears streaming down his face and his knuckles white from how tight he gripped the wheel, before they were replaced by those of his father.

_"Oh, I could only dream! At least if I didn't have you, I'd still have my wife!"_

He didn't even remember what started the damn fight, but the words hit him hard, harder than any had before. He knew his father was disappointed in him, but _fuck_ to hear him say something like _that_. To hear him say he'd basically be better off had Arthur never been born...

Arthur pushed the gas pedal harder. 

_"Get out of my sight. I never want to see you step foot in this house again. You are no son of mine."_

Disowned.

He'd been disowned. How would he pay his rent? He relied so much on the money he received from his father, and he knew it would fuck him over one day, but he never thought it'd be so soon… He still hadn’t managed to secure a job that wasn’t within his father’s company. He still had no outside source of income for himself.

Arthur’s thoughts were racing, and he was trembling as he pushed his car to go even faster, eyes blurry from tears and not noticing the sharp bend right up ahead.

His thoughts were so loud. So loud, so loud, _so loud!_ _Fuck!_

Then… There was a screech, a foot desperately pressing the brake as fast as it could, a scream, a crash, all over _pain,_ and then… Darkness.

His thoughts were quiet…

* * *

It was a normal evening for Merlin, at least, it was until he got _the call._

He was eating leftover lasagna from his mother while sitting on the couch, re-runs of Doctor Who season one playing on the screen in front of him but he wasn’t really paying attention. He couldn’t help but remember Arthur had his monthly dinner with Uther tonight. He wondered if he should have offered to go this time… He knew Morgana had ditched this time, leaving the two men alone. It worried Merlin more than he cared to admit.

Arthur and Uther hadn’t gotten along since a year after Merlin met them, when Arthur turned seventeen, and they got into their first _really big_ fight when Arthur found out Uther had been lying about the circumstances of his mother’s death. Ever since then they’d been walking on eggshells around each other, even more so since Arthur had come out publicly as pansexual at Pride with Merlin when after he turned twenty without telling his father privately first. Now Arthur had just turned twenty-six, and their relationship was only growing more strained as the years went on.

Merlin knew Arthur kept connections though because he needed them, he needed Uther to pay for his tuition while he was in University, and after that he relied on the man’s money to help him pay rent while he searched for a job that would actually hire him.

To Merlin’s surprise, it seemed to be difficult for the younger Pendragon to find a job that wasn’t too afraid of earning Uther’s wrath to hire him. No one wanted to be enemies with the CEO of Pendragon Enterprises, everyone knew how the man would wreck a business with a single word. The long-bankrupt Ambrose & Family Inc. was proof of that, Merlin thought bitterly.

Lately, though, Arthur had been talking about putting his business degree to use and starting up his own shop—a bakery & coffee house he said he wanted. Merlin, admittedly, laughed when Arthur first told him. He thought he’d been joking! But when he saw the hurt on Arthur’s face when he laughed, he immediately backpedaled and reminded Arthur how much he believed in him. Arthur told him it was just a silly thought, and he’d not do it, but Merlin refused to let his best friend of eight years give up on something he seemed so excited about…

Merlin recalled the way his face lit up when Arthur described what the shop would look like to him. The day after that, Merlin had begun to make plans for the shop and search for buildings for lease in the area in secret to help Arthur make his idea a reality. He had just found the perfect building, in fact! And, he’d saved up and had a replica of Excalibur forged by a real blacksmith just for Arthur for his first décor piece. It took a lot of his last few paychecks, but the look on Arthur’s face would be worth it.

He planned on telling Arthur and showing him the building tomorrow, after he’s had a nice rest after his dinner with Uther. Then, he’d present him with the sword and finally, _finally_ tell him how much he loved him when Arthur dared ask why he did all this.

First, though, Arthur had to manage this dinner with Uther…

In fact, Merlin frowned, setting his now empty plate on the couch beside him before grabbing his phone to check it for messages. Normally, Arthur would have called him by now to rant about how awful dinner was… Surely, they weren’t _still eating_. No way Arthur could tolerate being alone with his father that long…

Dread churned in his gut as he stared at his black screen. Something was wrong…

Quickly, Merlin unlocked his phone and pulled up Arthur’s contact. Right before he could hit the call button, though, a call suddenly flashed onto his screen. Merlin let out a startled noise, nearly dropping his phone as he quickly fumbled to answer it, not paying any attention to the number—rather just hoping it was Arthur.

“Arthur?” He asked as soon as he had the phone to his ear, “Hey, why didn’t you call sooner, you nearly gave me a—”

“I’m sorry, sir,” a woman’s voice cut him off gently, “but is this… _Merlin_ …? Oh, wow, um, Merlin Ambrose?”

Merlin was silent for a moment, caught off guard by the stranger on the other side of the line, before his sense suddenly came back to him and he nodded. Okay, well, only partly came back to him obviously.

“Yes, yes this is him,” he added once he finally remembered she couldn’t actually _see_ him. “May I ask who this is?”

There were a few seconds of hesitation before the woman replied.

“This is Guinevere Du Lac; I’m calling on behalf of Avalon Hospital’s Accidents & Emergency Department.” Merlin’s heart sunk at the words. “Your information was listed as the sole emergency contact for a Mister Arthur Pendragon… I’m afraid he’s been in a car accident.”

The world stopped rotating, and he nearly dropped his phone. Merlin swore he heard a whimper but there was no one else—oh, no. It came from him. Car accident. Arthur was in a car accident. Oh _gods_ , Arthur was in a _car accident_.

“Mister Ambrose?” Guinevere’s voice snapped Merlin out of his blossoming panic, and he took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself.

“I-I’m here, sorry, um…” He paused, “is he… Is Arthur—? Oh, gods, _please tell me he’s alive_.”

Normally, he would have been embarrassed by the way his voice broke, but his thoughts were too focused on Arthur for him to care.

“ _Oh!_ Oh, yes, he’s alive, don’t you worry,” Guinevere quickly assured, her voice taking on a sweet, compassionate tone that comforted Merlin similarly to how his own Mother’s voice would. A rush of relief flooded through him, though it was like a raindrop in an ocean of terror and worry. “He _is_ badly injured, though. If you come in, we can discuss the extent of his injuries face to face, it may be easier that way.”

Merlin was already putting on his coat before she finished the sentence. “I’ll be there in ten! Can I—can I see him, when I get there?”

“Of course, you can. Alright, I’ll be right at the front desk when you arrive, okay?”

Merlin nodded, before remembering yet again that she couldn’t see him.

“Okay. Um. Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Merlin quickly hung up the phone and grabbed his keys from the table by the door, before rushing out, no care for the dirty lasagna plate on the couch or television still on.

* * *

As Merlin hurried through the doors and into the A&E, he found he couldn’t even remember his drive there, he’d been so panicked. His heart was pounding but not in the way it did when Arthur laughed, no more in the way it did when Arthur called after a fight with his dad, but worse. His stomach, gods, his stomach was turning and flipping and he thought he may be sick, and his mind was racing with everything that could be wrong. All the ways he could be hurt.

The terror he felt must have shown on his face as he scanned the check in area, because a kind looking woman around his own age stepped around the counter and walked up to him with a small smile.

“Mister Ambrose?” She asked, in a familiar voice. Guinevere, his brain provided. This was the woman who called him.

“Merlin,” he absently corrected, before he rushed out, “Arthur, Arthur Pendragon—how’s Arthur? Where’s Arthur?”

Guinevere just gave him a comforting smile and led him over to one of the chairs for patients waiting to be checked in. “Come, sit down, take a breath, Merlin. You’ll do Arthur no good if you’re blacking out on us.”

Now that she mentioned it, Merlin noticed he _was_ feeling quite faint. He nodded slowly and let her sit him down in one of the chairs. Once he was sat, she pulled up a chair and sat across from him. Her co-worker must have taken over so she could help him, he vaguely realized.

“Thank you, Guinevere…” He mumbled, his hands trembling as he ran them through his hair. Guinevere shook her head, gently grabbing his hands from his hair and holding them in her own.

“Gwen,” she kindly corrected, “now… Arthur’s going to be just fine, I want you to understand that, okay? I’m going to leave you here in a minute and call the doctor to come fill you in, but before that, I want to hear you say that you understand he’ll be just fine.”

Merlin nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes a moment, trying to calm down even a little bit. Once he didn’t feel like he was on the edge of hysteria anymore, he opened his eyes again and held eye contact with Gwen.

“I understand that Arthur will be just fine,” he said softly. He felt a drop of relief when his voice didn’t shake, and Gwen grinned proudly at him. She finally released his hands and patted his bouncing knee gently before standing up.

“Good! I’ll go summon the doctor, now. Just stay here, and try to relax. If you feel like you’ll panic again, just repeat Arthur will be just fine until you’re feeling better,” she instructed him before walking back to the check in desk and picking up her phone.

He couldn’t hear here from where he was sat, but when she put the phone back down and shot Merlin a soft smile, he couldn’t help but feel a bit comforted. His leg still bounced as he waited, but he wasn’t about to break into tears so he took what he could get.

Then, quicker than Merlin would have thought (or maybe he just didn’t notice the time pass, so busy in thought), a man approached him with a friendly face.

“Merlin Ambrose?” He asked. Merlin nodded and stood up quickly.

“That’s me, I’m Merlin Ambrose. You’re the doctor. I mean, are you the doctor? I mean, of course you’re the doctor, I mean, fuck I’m rambling—” Merlin snapped his mouth shut and took a deep breath before trying again. “Yes, I’m Merlin.”

The doctor just chuckled and held out his hand for Merlin to shake. “I’m Doctor Lancelot Du Lac, but please, call me Lance. After all, I’m a doctor not a knight. You’re here for Arthur, yes?”

Merlin nodded quickly, shaking Lancelot’s hand.

“Yes, yeah, I’m…How is he?” He asked when he let go of Lance’s hand, his voice dripping with concern.

“Well, he’s sustained multiple injuries, but with plenty rest, and lots of pain killers, he’ll make full recovery in no time I’m sure,” Lance explained, lifting a weight off Merlin as he spoke, “he’s _very_ lucky he came out of this with what he did, it could have been much worse.”

Much worse… Merlin grimaced at the thought. “What…What happened? I mean, if you know.”

“I’m not exactly sure what happened, but a truck driver found his car crashed into a telephone pole and called the ambulance. They brought him in and now I’m patching him up.” Lance clasped his hands behind his back.

He _crashed into a phone pole._ Merlin felt faint again. How long had he been there before the truck driver found him…? How had he crashed into a phone pole?! Merlin knew Arthur wasn’t always the safest driver but he was hardly this reckless!

“Can I see him?”

Lance nodded. “Right this way,” he hummed before beginning to lead Merlin to the patient rooms.

As they walked, Merlin felt anxiety dance in his gut once more.

“Doctor—uh, Lance, could I, could you tell me… What injuries…? Just so I’m you know, prepared.” It sounded stupid when he said it out loud, but gods he couldn’t go in blind. He couldn’t. Luckily, Lancelot seemed to understand, because he simply nodded as he stopped outside a door.

“He’s right in here,” he told Merlin, “he’s suffering a mild concussion, a sprained wrist, broken leg, and three bruised ribs—two on the left and one on the right. He’s in a lot of pain, but we’ve got him drugged up on morphine to ease it.”

He added the last part with a small, almost playful smile, as if trying to ease Merlin’s nerves.

“He should still be awake; we’re keeping him for observation overnight. I’d like to keep him tomorrow too, but he’s insisting on being released in the morning and, well, if he signs the waiver, there’s not much I can do,” Lance sighed softly.

Merlin sighed as well. Yeah, that sounded like the stubborn prat.

“Ready to go in?”

There was a moment’s hesitation, before Merlin nodded finally, and Lance opened the door for him. He waited for Merlin to walk in, before shutting the door behind him while staying in the hall. Merlin heard him mumble something about privacy, but wasn’t paying attention.

As soon as he walked in, his mind blanked.

“ _Arthur_ ,” he breathed, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at the injured man on the hospital bed in front of him. Said man groaned softly, opening his eyes at the voice.

Merlin watched as Arthur’s eyes widened when he saw him, and the blond idiot tried to sit up quickly, resulting in a pained swear and him laying back down.

“Don’t—don’t sit up, you fucking prick, _fuck,_ ” Merlin choked out, rushing to his side, “What _happened?_ I mean, I _know_ what happened but _how?_ Gods, Arthur, a _car accident_ , how did this _happen_?”

Arthur let out a long sigh, looking away.

“Uther…” He finally mumbled.

“…You got in a fight with your father, and so you crashed your car?” Merlin raised an eyebrow, trying his best to pretend he wasn’t crying. Arthur shot him a look, which softened the moment their eyes met, and he sighed again, shaking his head.

“Not on purpose, not my father,” he elaborated barely, before adding with a humorless chuckle, “they always tell you never drive when you’re emotional, yeah, I think I know why now… I really didn’t see the corner, or the pole, Merlin, I swear I’d never put you through something like this on purpose. I can only imagine how terrified you must’ve been to get the call.”

Merlin huffed softly, sniffling as he wiped away a few traitorous tears.

“Yeah… I think I felt my soul leave my body when they told me you were in a wreck,” he admitted, “I… I don’t know what I’d do without you, gods, I was so scared—wait.”

Merlin abruptly cut himself off, shaking his head in confusion as Arthurs’s first words finally processed. “Not your father… Arthur, what happened with Uther tonight?”

“He, uh,” Arthur paused, looking away again with a pained look in his eyes that Merlin was sure had nothing to do with his injuries, “he disowned me, Merlin… We got into a massive fight, the biggest one since my mother and… and he disowned me. He never wants to see me again, I’m getting cut off, I… I don’t have a father anymore, and I have no idea how I’m going to pay my rent.”

“Oh, _Arthur_ ,” Merlin gasped softly, his eyes widening. He knew Uther was cruel, but to disown his only son! A fury bubbled in Merlin’s gut. “I’m so sorry… That—that’s why you were driving so recklessly, you were freaking out… _Fuck_ , you should have called me, you know I would have dropped everything to come get you, we could have picked up your car tomorrow.”

“I wasn’t exactly thinking straight,” Arthur shot back defensively. Merlin sighed and sat on the very edge of the bed.

“I’m not mad at you, or blaming you…” He assured, then when Arthur didn’t say anything else, he hesitantly added, “you could always move in with me.”

Arthur’s eyes snapped to Merlin’s face, shocked.

“Merlin, you can’t be—”

“I’m serious.”

“I couldn’t…”

Merlin shook his head, narrowing his eyes. “Arthur Pendragon, let me help you for once in your damn life. Move in with me. From there, we can make plans to get you a job. Well… Actually, I already kind of have an idea for that, but that surprise can wait until you’re all healed up.” His little surprise about the bakery could wait a little longer…

When he hesitated to reply, Merlin thought Arthur would try and argue again, already preparing himself for the battle. So, he was caught off guard when Arthur _did_ speak again.

“Why are you doing all of this…? You know you don’t have to.” Merlin’s heart ached at how small Arthur’s voice came out, showing a level of vulnerability the brunet knew Arthur only let him witness.

It wasn’t exactly how Merlin planned on confessing. In a hospital, in the evening, face red from crying, and Arthur battered up and injured… But, well, he asked the winning question, and Merlin found he couldn’t stop the truth from spilling out.

Merlin leaned forward, gently cupping Arthur’s cheek, his thumb brushing just under a small cut from the crash. “Because you mean everything to me, Arthur… and I’d do anything just to see you smile, to know you’re happy and safe,” he murmured, watching as Arthur’s eyes slowly widened, “because I love you, so much that it terrifies me.”

To say the silence his words were met with was fear-inducing was putting it lightly. It wasn’t until a grin broke out on Arthur’s face that Merlin felt his heart begin to beat again.

“Oh, thank god,” Arthur breathed, “I thought I’d have to suffer in unrequited love forever, you know.”

Merlin let out a startled laugh at this, shaking his head. “Imagine us both having the same fear! I take it this means you…?”

Arthur nodded, and Merlin’s heart swelled with joy. (Though his fury at Uther would not be so easily forgotten.)

“Good, good. That’s good,” Merlin grinned, “I, um… I’d kiss you, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Oh, please,” Arthur groaned, rolling his eyes, “one kiss won’t hurt me. I think we’ve been waiting long enough already. And if it does, I’m in a hospital, plenty of doctors to help.”

Well, he did have a point… Merlin bit his lip, before finally sighing in defeat and carefully leaning in. Arthur’s eyes lit up at as he got closer, and Merlin very cautiously avoided his big injuries. Then, finally, after way too long of a wait… Merlin gently pressed their lips together in a sweet, chaste kiss. Arthur let out a small, pleased noise. It wasn’t a long kiss, it was fairly quick, but even so it was perfect for the moment.

Arthur slowly looked at Merlin once they separated, and let out a long sigh.

“What?” Merlin asked, tilting his head.

“Nothing, just,” Arthur paused, shrugging slightly, “I love you. And I love that I can say it now. Even if it took me getting in a literal wreck.”

Merlin winced.

“To be fair, I didn’t really plan on that part…”

“Oh?” Arthur raised an eyebrow at him.

“Well, I was planning on telling you!” Merlin clarified, “just at a…happier moment.”

“Like when?” Arthur hummed, tilting his head.

Merlin bit back a grin, trying to look innocent as he copied Arthur, tilting his head.

“Like when I told you I found the perfect building for the King Arthur’s Sweets & Coffee shop you wanted to open, _and_ calculated the funds needed to start it and discovered we can totally do it together, without Uther’s money,” he explained as if talking about the weather. Though, he was really unable to contain his grin at the awestruck look that crossed Arthur’s face.

“ _Really?_ ” His eyes were wide and his voice like a child who’d just been told he could have the entire candy store, and Merlin knew immediately he’d done a good thing. The brunet nodded, loving the way Arthur’s face lit up with a grin.

“Merlin Ambrose, if it wouldn’t hurt like hell to move like that, I’d be kissing you senseless right now against this mattress, you amazing man,” Arthur laughed. “I love you so much. God, you just made this shitty night probably one of the best I’ve had…” 

“I’m glad to be of service!” Merlin joked, before leaning forward and carefully kissing him sweetly again. “I love you, too. Oh! And I suppose maybe now would be a good time to tell you I also bought you, well, really had it forged for you, a replica of Excalibur. It’s at my flat, waiting for you.”

Arthur’s eyes widened impossibly further and he laughed incredulously.

“Only you, Merlin. Only you…”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> Get some rest & please don't crash your car into a light pole just to say you did it.


End file.
